Golf shoes



April 4, 1967 aQ GOLF SHOES Filed p il 5. 1966 LEFT F001 FIE. 2

756; Four F IE. 1

A T'TURN'EY United States Patent 3,311,999 GOLF SHOES Arden B. MacNeill, 63 Riverview Ave., Waltham, Mass. 02154 Filed Apr. 5, 1966, Ser. No. 540,302 Claims. (Cl. 362.5)

This invention relates to golf shoes carrying golf spikes in the soles thereof for increased traction and more particularly to golf shoes carrying improved golf spike arrangements for improved traction during a golfers swing of his golf club in hitting a golf ball.

The primary difference between shoes for street wear and golf shoes is the inclusion of golf spikes extending from the soles of golf shoes to provide greater traction on golf course turf. The golfers need for such increased traction is particularly desirable when swinging his golf club to hit the golf ball. It has been found that the conventional pattern of golf spikes placement on golf shoes while improving traction in general has lacked desirable refinement for maximum efliciency where needed most, namely during the golfers swing of his golf club in hitting the golf ball.

This problem has been overcome by the present invention which also incorporates other desirable features and advan'tages. Among the other desirable features and advantages achieved by the present invention is the provision of golf shoes which provide desirable increase in traction during the swing without increasing cost of the golf shoe construction. Another desirable feature and advantage is that of increased traction over a wider range of golfers foot positions. Further desirable features and advantages include that of ready adaptability to construction of golf shoes for accommodating right handed golfers and golf shoes for accommodating left handed golfers for improved traction during the swing of the golf club in hitting the golf ball.

A primary object of the present invention is the provision of pairs of golf shoes having improved traction when needed most, namely during the golfers swing of his golf club in hitting the golf ball.

Another object is the provision of pairs of golf shoes having a more efficient distribution of golf spikes therein.

A further object is the provision of pairs of golf shoes having a hight efficient traction capability over a wide range of golfers foot positions.

And further objects include the provision of a construction for pairs of golf shoes adaptable for improved traction for right handed golfers and adaptable for improved traction for left handed golfers during the swing his golf club in hitting the golf ball.

These objects, features and advantages are achieved generally by the provision of a pair of golf shoes, each having a sole with inner and outer edges running peripherally of the sole from the toe inside and outside respectively about an area accommodating the ball of the foot and carrying a plurality of golf spikes extending therefrom for gripping the turf of a golf course, one of the shoes being for the left foot of a golfer, the other shoe being for the right foot of the golfer with one of said shoe soles carrying more spikes along the inside edge than along the outside edge of said sole and the other of said shoe soles carrying more golf spikes along said outside edge than along the inside edge of said other shoe sole.

By placing said larger number of said golf spikes on the inside edge of the sole of the shoe for the right foot and said larger number of golf spikes on the outside edge of the sole of the shoe for the left foot, the pair of golf shoes is particularly adapted for increased traction for a right handed golfer during the swing of his golf club in hitting a golf ball.

3,31 1,999 Patented Apr. 4, 1967 By placing the larger number of golf spikes on the inside edge of the sole of the shoe for the left foot and the larger number of golf spikes along the outer edge of the sole of the shoe for the right foot, the pair of golf shoes is particularly adapted for increased traction for a left handed golfer during the swing of his golf club in hitting a golf ball.

These and other features, objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a bottom view of a portion of a golf shoe for the right foot with the sole shown carrying golf spikes placed in accordance with the present invention for a right handed golfer;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a portion of a golf shoe for the left foot with the sole shown carrying golf spikes placed in accordance with the present invention for a right handed golfer; FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a portion of a golf shoe for the right foot with the sole shown carrying golf spikes placed in accordance with the present invention for a left handed golfer;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of a portion of a golf shoe for the left foot with the sole shown carrying golf spikes placed in accordance with the present invention for a left handed golfer.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 in more detail, bottom views of portions of a pair of golf shoes are shown with a shoe sole 10 for the right foot and a shoe sole 12 for the left foot. The right foot shoe sole 10 carries a closely spaced row of golf spikes 14, 16, 18, 20 and 21 along the inner edge 22 running peripherally from the toe 24 about an area 26 which accommodates the ball of the right foot. The remaining three golf spikes 28, 30 and 32 are distributed widely along the outer edge 35 running, peripherally from the toe 24 about the area 26.

The left shoe sole 12 carries a closely spaced row of golf spikes 36, 38, 40, 42 and 43 along the outside edge 44 running peripherally of the sole 12 from the toe 46 about the area 48 accommodating the ball of the left foot. The remaining three golf spikes 50, 52 and 54 are distributed along the inside edge 56 running peripherally from the toe 46 about the area 48 of the sole 12.

It has been found that during a right handed golfers swing of his golf club in hitting a golf ball, the golfers body motion at the beginning of the swing through contact with the golf ball is such that his right foot has a force reaction carried along the inner edge 22 of his right sole 10 against the turf. Increasing the traction of this inner edge 22 with increased numbers of golf spikes 14, 16, 18, 20 and 21 enables the golfer to increase his power in this power portion of the swing. Also, it has been found that upon hitting the golf ball, the golf club follow-through results in the golfers weight shifting to his left foot in a manner such that the sole 48 tends to tilt with the pressure concentrated along the outer edge 44 of the left shoe 12. Therefor, the increased number of golf spikes 36, 38, 40, 42 and 43 along this outer edge 44 provide desirable increased traction for insuring maximum stability in the followthrough of the swing.

The remaining widely spaced golf spikes 28, 30 and 32 on shoe 1t) and golf spikes 50, 52 and 54 on shoe 12 are primarily for balanced traction in straightaway walking. The resulting increased power and stability in the golfers swing resulting from this improved golf spike placement thereby tends toward improvement in the overall golfers golfing performance.

A left handed golfers movements are found to be just opposite to that described above for the right handed golfer. Thus the golf spike placement shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is provided to accommodate a left handed golfer.

In FIG. 4, golf spikes 58, 6t), 62, 64 and 66 provide an increased concentration of turf gripping spikes along the outer edge 68 of the sole 70 of the right foot shoe while the three remaining golf spikes 72, 74 and 76 are widely spaced along the inside edge 78 of the sole 70. In FIG. 3, golf spikes 80, 82, 84, 86 and 88 provide an increased concentration of turf gripping spikes along the inside edge 9%) of the sole 92 for the left foot, while the remaining three golf spikes 94, 96 and 98 are widely spaced along the outside edge 100 of the sole 92.

Thus when the left handed golfer swings the golf club toward the ball, he receives additional traction from spikes 8t 82, 84, 86 and 88 along the inside edge 90 of his left foot for added power to his swing. Also, in the follow-through after hitting the ball, his body Weight shifts to the outside edge 68 of sole 70 on his right foot where he receives increased traction from spikes 58, 60, 62, 64 and 66 for steadying his followthrough portion of the swing.

The golf spikes referred to herein are well known in the art and readily available commercially. A golf spike construction particularly suitable for use in the present invention is disclosed in my Patent No. 3,237,323 entitled Golf Spike Receptacles and Anchor Plate Combination, issued on Mar. 1, 1966.

This invention is not limited to the particular details of construction and operation herein described as equivalents will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. In a pair of golf shoes for a golfer having two feet with one of the shoes being for one foot and the other of the shoes being for the other foot, and each shoe being with a sole having an area for supporting the ball of the foot, a toe end, and an inner and outer peripheral edges running from said toe end about said area for supporting the ball of the foot, the combination of a plurality of turf gripping spikes extending from the soles of each of said shoe with more of said spikes extending from the sole of the shoe for said one foot being concentrated along said inner edge than said outer edge of the sole and more of the spikes extending from the sole of said other shoe being concentrated along said outer edge than said inner edge of the sole.

2. The combination as in claim 5 wherein said sole of the right shoe carries five spikes along said inner edge and three spikes along said outer edge, and said sole of the left shoe carries five spikes along said outer edge and three spikes along said inner edge.

3. The combination as in claim 1 wherein said one shoe of the pair of golf shoes is for the left foot and said other shoe is for the left foot and thus with more of the spikes extending from the sole of the shoe for the right foot being concentrated along said outer edge than said inner edge of the right shoe sole, and more of the spikes extending from the sole of the shoe for the left foot being concentrated along said inner edge than said outer edge of the left shoe sole for thereby adapting said pair of golf shoes for a left handed golfer.

4. The combination as in claim 3 wherein said sole of the right shoe carries five spikes along said outer edge and three spikes along said inner edge, and said sole of the left shoe carries five spikes along said inner edge and three spikes along said outer edge.

5. The combination as in claim 1 wherein said one shoe of the pair of golf shoes in for the left foot and said other shoe is for the right foot and thus with more of the spikes extending from the sole of the shoe for the left foot being concentrated along said outer edge than said inner edge of the left shoe sole, and more of the spikes extending from the sole of the shoe for the right foot being concentrated along said inner edge than said outer edge of the right shoe sole for thereby adapting said pair of golf shoes for a right handed golfer.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,032,596 3/1936 Shannon 36-107 3,011,272 12/1961 Goldenberg 362 FOREIGN PATENTS 667,711 3/ 1952 Great Britain.

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A PAIR OF GOLF SHOES FOR A GOLFER HAVING TWO FEET WITH ONE OF THE SHOES BEING FOR ONE FOOT AND THE OTHER OF THE SHOES BEING FOR THE OTHER FOOT, AND EACH SHOE BEING WITH A SOLE HAVING AN AREA FOR SUPPORTING THE BALL OF THE FOOT, A TOE END, AND AN INNER AND OUTER PERIPHERAL EDGES RUNNING FROM SAID TOE END ABOUT SAID AREA FOR SUPPORTING THE BALL OF THE FOOT, THE COMBINATION OF A PLURALITY OF TURF GRIPPING SPIKES EXTENDING FROM THE SOLES OF EACH OF SAID SHOE WITH MORE OF SAID SPIKES EXTENDING FROM THE SOLE OF THE SHOE FOR SAID ONE FOOT BEING CONCENTRATED ALONG SAID INNER EDGE THAN SAID OUTER EDGE OF THE SOLE AND MORE OF THE SPIKES EXTENDING FROM THE SOLE 